Hi all,

I was just wondering, there are ALOT of people who have Yonex rackets. Is this because you actually LIKE the rackets, or because you want to keep up with other people. I'm sure there are alot who dont like their rackets, but dont change to another company because of the name, and the fact it is popular with other people.
If you had the top Yonex racket, then people will give you attention because of it, because it's 'Yonex', but if someone turned and said they had the Yehlex, or Monsoon top racket, they wouldnt get as much because of the name.
So, do you feel people actually buy Yonex just to keep up with the trend, even though they dont like the feel?

Matt

I started with a Silver Grey (remember those wooden rackets anyone) and then went on to a Yoneyama 8000 (precursor to Yonex). I got the Yoneyama over a Carton, because it was a lot cheaper -- remember when Yoneyama was a cheap but excellent racket anyone? I used a Carlton 3.7X for a while, but switched back to Yonex with the Carb 7. Since then I have never bought a non-Yonex and have only used non-Yonex when trying out other friends' rackets. Other brands are okay, but I have never tried them.

Ron

Unless you got the money and time resources to try out the various brand, most people just buy the one they know, can find, and can afford. As far as a "fashion" statement as in people look at you differently if you are using yonex, it doesn't really matter since if you play badly, you still look foolish even w/ a mp100 in your hand; vice versa, if you play good, you might give your generic brand a good name but YOU, the player is the one that really matters.

I agree with jwu. Equipment consititutes about 25% of badminton. The rest is physical&mental strength, skill, and strategy.

One of my coach once said out of defiance, that he can defeat us (me and my partner at the time) with broom!!!:D :D

IMHO, any decent racquet can be used to play badminton. And if I have the money, I would try out other brands of racquets.

Ben

Originally posted by benfok
IMHO, any decent racquet can be used to play badminton. And if I have the money, I would try out other brands of racquets.

Ben

It's not just the money, isn't it since some of the other brands are cheaper than Yonex but rather it is a question of availability. For example, you wouldn't be able to find Yang-Yang, Winex, Forza, etc easily. It's a chicken and egg thing too since retailers are more relunctant to carry the other brands because they might not sell as well as Yonex. :(

Benfolk wrote: I agree with jwu. Equipment consititutes about 25% of badminton. The rest is physical&mental strength, skill, and strategy.

I would say that the gain from the racket is much less than 25%. As long as the racket is decent, well strung, and with decent strings, any competent player can adjust, get used to the racket and play well. A few hours of practice is all it takes to get sufficiently used to the racket.

A bad player on the other hand can use the best racket and still play badly. I have seen players who use warped wooden frame rackets with dead strings and still make amazing drop shots. I have also seen bad players play with better rackets and completely miss the shuttlecock completely.

It is the player's skill that counts and not the racket unless the racket is clearly inferior (like the lawn practice sets).


Ron

Unless you got the money and time resources to try out the various brand

Which is one problem with badminton, since it's popularity is almost non-exsistent here in the WEST. If badminton ever becomes popular again(which most likely will never happen) there will be rackets everywhere, clubs will have lots lying around for people to try etc.... not only that rackets will become much cheaper like in China

Evert time I go into a badminton shop and see all the rackets there, I always have this desire to buy a bunch so that I can try them out, heck sometimes I just want to own them for the sake of it.

maybe i'm not as hardcore as you guys, but i just buy the one that suits me.. heck, i didn't even know all this badminton talk until i joined this board like 2 months ago, while searching for a new racquet.. i''ve concluded, like many others, that if u have a big name in the sport, you'll score (no pun intended). thats pretty much the sad truth.. though i tried to put that asided and balance the bias, by trying other racquets, i still ordered the TiSwingpower from Yonex.. i'm a victim of corporate marketing.

You know other than the fact that Yonex rackets are indeed over-priced here in the WEST, they are still good rackets. I just wish people would pay more attention to other racket companys that make rackets just as good or even better than Yonex.

Today I was looking at Muscle power 88(to flexible) but i really liked the paint job, guy wanted 200 CAN (tax included) and free stringing with the racket BG-whatever one I wanted.

yo's?

nope! yo's wants I think $220, this was from local stringer

Matt,

The answer is simple.

I can afford to buy Yonex now :)

But I am still not comletely Yonex. My shoes and some of my clothes are Mizuno.
In fact, I quite like Mizuno sign.

Matt, for me, its just that i trust yonex and know more about yonex rackets than other rackets.. But recently I tried out an Ashaway TMP 500 and quite liked it. It felt really nice and I want one :)

I think since Yonex owns the majority of the market, therefore, ppl have more choice to go with Yonex rackets:

1. Beginner: It's safe to go with a big brand, and easier to find a proper model for him/herself. If have to choose from an unknown brand, it's hard to get information from others, and end up with wasting $$$

2. Pro: Unless they being sponsed, the pros really know what kinda rackets are their own choices. Therefore, Yonex may not be as dominate as it in the beginner's market. However, high end Yonex racket are very well designed (MP88, 99, 100, Ti Swing, Iso Tour 800, etc), and are the favorite of many top elites.

3. Int.: This group of ppl have some knowledge of badminton, and already developed into their own style of playing. Base on their $$$, they will share experience around, and willing to figure out a good replacement racket other than the expensive ones. That brought out other popular brands such as YangYang, Victor, Winex, Froza, etc.


Therefore, to me, Yonex will be a "safe" choice, but not necessary to be the best.

In my early badminton years i mostly used other brands than Yonex.
Carlton, Kawasaki, Prince, SP, ........
But from the beginning, i liked Yonex, they just have cool nice looking stuff. Couldn't afford it at that time.
Since i can afford it, i used Yonex rackets and liked them (except for the times that i broke one :( )
Same for Ashaway strings : i always played with ashaway strings because they were way better than the rest...(at least from the strings available here)
Nowadays there are other good strings on the market, and because i had some bad experience (could be bad luck) with Ashaway strings, i switched to yonex strings.
Still, i think Ashaway is cool, don;t know why :p
I think i will try their rackets and strings in the future.

Yonex used to be a cheap manufacturer of decent rackets. The Yoneyama/Yonex models 1000 to 6000 were wooden frame rackets that were decent and cheaper than Silver Greys and Dunlops (but more fragile). The Yonex models 7000/8000 were metal frame rackets that were cheaper than comparable Carltons and just as good. With the 6300 (wooden frame Caronex 3 with a carbon shaft) and 8300 (metal frame Carbonex 7 with a carbon shaft), Yonex began to demonstrate innovative R&D. With the 8500, better known as the original Carbonex 8, Yonex had a world class racket as the Carbonex 8 was probably the best racket when it first came out. Liem Swee King won the All-England with the Carb 8 (he probably could have won it with any quality racket anyway). Yonex has been ahead with innovations with the all graphite Carb 15 and Carb 20.

I am not sure whether Yonex still has the foremost cutting edge R&D, but the cutting edge R&D of Yonex in the 80's made it popular (together with its sponsorship of top players like Liem Swee King).

Other manufacterers may have caught up with the R&D of Yonex, but Yonex still makes quality rackets. Also, Yonex may have better QC than other brands. I asked a sports store owner (I knew him) about Carlton, but he said recommended that I stay with Yonex because the quality of Carlton tends to be more variable. The Carltons were comparably priced so price was not the issue. Karakal may make the lightest racket, but I like a U to 2U and do not need a 5U. The Chinese rackets like Yang Yang are copies of Yonex and are of limited distribution. The price of many competitive brands in the US are not that much less than Yonex so I would rather pay the extra and get a Yonex. Anyway, I buy my rackets when I take a vacation outside the US because it is a lot cheaper.

So, there are many good reasons to stay with Yonex especially if the rackets can be got at a decent price and if the buyer is less price sensitive. Yonex still makes excellent rackets. Other companies may also make excellent rackets, but then the issue is to find a racket that fits one's needs. Many buyers may know the Yonex line and may not be familiar with the other brands. I am familiar with the Yonex MP and Carb lines and do not want to experiment with other brands. It is more expensive to buy other brands to try them out and most players in my club (those who use quality rackets) use Yonex, so I cannot borrow and try out other brands. The ones who use non-Yonex use cheapos and I don't even bother trying out those rackets.

Ron

Originally posted by ronk

The Chinese rackets like Yang Yang are copies of Yonex and are of limited distribution.


Correct me if I am wrong.

I think YangYang, the person was a Chinese elite, but YangYang as a brand has its factory in Malaysia. So, can't say it's a chinese racket. However, I know some Chinese elite did try out his rackets, and gave pretty good rating on several models (Tactic 9000/8500, and Ti Wooven).

As far as R&D goes, I believe you can still consider yonex to be the front-runner since all the other brands seem to copy various bits and pieces of yonex's design. The only thing I can think of might be materials used to make racquets. Such as berylium and magnesium, used by Victor and Karakal, which I don't recall yonex has any racquets made of these materials yet.

I never thought about the technical side of badminton until couple months ago when I joined this site. Before then, I just play w/ whatever racquets that was lying around the house or that I can borrow. Now with a little more time and financial resources, I can experiment w/ the different brands and so far I have to agree w/ lazybuddy from earlier, yonex is easy to get but not the best, it is just a safe buy.

Right now I play w/ victor racquets and love them, highly recommend ppl to give them a try but they are so hard to find. sigh. As for strings, Yonex and Gosen strings are working great right now for me. Other accessories, don't really care much about clothings, just whatever feels good, and as for shoes, something that fits and looks good would be nice. :D

Actually, the Yonex Muscle Power frames were clearly "inspired" by the Babolat frames who came out before the Yonex MP's... It doesn't look exactly the same, but the function is the same... Coincidence or rip-off? ;)

I believe you can still consider yonex to be the front-runner since all the other brands seem to copy various bits and pieces of yonex's design.

That statement is not entirely true, I do agree alot of comapnies have followed Yonex's foot steps, but not all!! Example: Carlton and Prince and that other french racket company that I am hearing lots of good things about. Also From my experience FORZA is a compnay that has taken idea's from the yonex rackets and improved upon them, as I feel that they play much better than YONEX.

Yonex the leader in R&D, well that is a matter of opinion, although I believe it has alot to do with Yonex's marketing power. When all is said and done it's how the racket plays, Spec's mean nothing. (Take the Cab 20 for example, old but still play better to me than the MP)

and are the favorite of many top elites.


Only because Yonex sponsers them. Alot of them never even get to try out the other brands. Don't get me wrong I'm sure a few pros really do prefer Yonex over other brands but Vice Versa can be said.


Actually, the Yonex Muscle Power frames were clearly "inspired" by the Babolat frames who

If i'm not mistaken BABOLAT is the french racket company i was refering to

Yeah I kinda got a bad feeling after I posted that. Sorry for over-generalizing.

ah I kinda got a bad feeling after I posted that. Sorry for over-generalizing.

Don't feel sorry, you did somewhat have a valid point, alot of companies do indeed copy Yonex, just not all.

I agree with people in this discussion that say the racket doesn't add up to mean that much when it comes down to the real facts!

There is a guy at this club I play at that always uses this old wooden racket that I wouldn't even try to guess what age it is and he pulls off some of the most amazing shots. It is HIM that does the shot, the skill, the perfect weight in the shot and not the racket. There is NOTHING fashionable about this old piece of junk. We have had many chats and he always tells me that the racket means nothing.

Yonex has been a leading name for a long time and as I understand it, approx 94% of the badminton players in the word use the brand. Many swear by it and some curse it, but it's all about personal feel for me. As some of you may have read from me already, I used a Carlton PowerFlo 85g for years and I eventually out-grew it, it was hurting my arm and shoulder swinging such a light thing about so fast......I was at the Scottish International Championships and saw the difference in the Yonex racket and how the shape and length of it adds an extra inch to reaching shots and getting to shuttles that I truely believe that my Carlton wouldn't get.

I changed straight away to a Yonex and the difference is really there to see, and I know this because I have never played better in my life than when I got my Yonex. It's not a fashion choice and I didn't get one because "everyone" has one but because it makes a little difference. After this very small change, it is ALL about the player!

Tartan wrote, "I agree with people in this discussion that say the racket doesn't add up to mean that much .... There is a guy at this club I play at that always uses this old wooden racket that I wouldn't even try to guess what age it is and he pulls off some of the most amazing shots. It is HIM that does the shot, the skill, the perfect weight in the shot and not the racket. There is NOTHING fashionable about this old piece of junk. We have had many chats and he always tells me that the racket means nothing."

I agree! I have a player in my club who sometimes uses a badly warped wooden racket. The racket is not flat but badly warped, but yet he has good touch and can usually make good drops and smashes with the racket. There are beginners who do not play with any touch, even with objectively newer and better rackets.

I find that a good and familiar racket will provide an edge in difficult touch shots and better timing with smashes and smash returns, but the racket basically provides small incremental differences. It is the skill of the player that counts the most.

Ron

Totally agree with you guys on this one, my coach say to me, racket mean nothing it the skills determination, cordination foot work and foucs=skills that make yo a good player, don't get to hung up on the racket, don't rely to much on it, rely on your skills. Heck i'd beat anyone here in this room with a a tennies racket

awww sorry for the bad grammer mistakes there i was typing on my keyboard in the dark

Originally posted by NVIDIA256
Heck i'd beat anyone here in this room with a a tennies racket

wow pretty high confidence you got there. :D Hey tennis racquets have higher tension and MUCH bigger sweet spot, kinda unfair too if you use that. :D

My tennis is real bad so you'd have no problems winning against me.

wow pretty high confidence you got there

Noooooo, that was my coach talking to me, get it. everything I wrote in that post was what My coach was saying to me

ooooo ic ic, :D sorry, didn't see any quotation marks so I just assumed. Hey actually now we mentioned tennis racquets, just wondering how come no one has come up w/ a tennis racquet-face size badminton racquet. Hmmm, maybe too much air-resistance.

Originally posted by NVIDIA256
Heck i'd beat anyone here in this room with a a tennies racket


Beat? or Beat up???

Lucky he did not metion using a "baseball bat" something...




j/k, got ur point.... :D

in my opinion..Yonex is the most popular brand nowadays..i agree.I noticed some of the pipol i played with..still buy yonex(even the fake ones,just to be in the crowd)but they did admit its the fake one,just to have a racket to use in the game.being practical..they wont buy the real thing coz itsa too expensive.;) which i agree,quality wise the brand is one of the best!!!!!:D

It's not just the money, isn't it since some of the other brands are cheaper than Yonex but rather it is a question of availability. For example, you wouldn't be able to find Yang-Yang, Winex, Forza, etc easily. It's a chicken and egg thing too since retailers are more relunctant to carry the other brands because they might not sell as well as Yonex. :(

Unfortunately I can't afford mid to high-range Yonex racquets, and their range only offers one (as far as I know) racquet that is particularly head-light and isometric as-is my preference (NS7K) which is Very expensive.

The reason I say it's unfortunate is while I'm really quite Happy with my current racquet, (primarily Slazenger Xcel S1), being a racquet by a manufacturer that Isn't popular, they tend to change their mid/higher-end range of racquets Quite frequently (e.g. every year to 2 years at the most). And having not the money for a Yonex racquet, typically the same applies that I can't 'stock up' on this same racquet. So at some point I could break the racquet accidentally, or whatever, and it won't be available to buy.

Whereas Yonex's ranges tend to stay around a lot longer, and even when discontinued, due to their popularity their racquets are often still fairly widely available. That's probably Why I'd choose Yonex If I could.

Most people would be inclined to buy a racket from some reputable manufacturer available near them. Marketing or not, unless they have priviledged knowledge either from friends or from this forum, they will only remember Yonex. You wouldn't be stupid enough to bet your hard-earned money on some obscure brand that is not known to you just like you wouldn't be stupid enough to buy rackets from some obscure sellers on eBay. Oops... :D

As Yonex is the most popular brand of rackets where I live and the choise is rather limited, many people use Yonex rackets. I think it has nothing to do with impressing others. And Yonex isn't cheap so probably most people will think it's good...